Article and method for retaining loose leaves in bound volumes



A ril 1, 1969 J. R. MILLER 3,435,828

ARTICLE AND METHOD FOR RETAINING LOOSE LEAVES IN BOUND VOLUMES FiledJuly 19, 1966 Sheet of? n I I6 ENTOR mv JOHN R. MILLER BY WM ATTORNEYApril 1, 1969 J. R. MILLER 3,435,823

ARTICLE AND METHOD FOR RETAINING LOOSE LEAVES IN BOUND VOLUMES FiledJuly 19, 1966 Sheet 2 of 2 FIG. 4-

INVENT OR JOHN R. MILLER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,435,828 ARTICLEAND METHOD FOR RETAINING LOOSE LEAVES IN BOUND VOLUMES John R. Miller,914 Pinecrest Drive, Richardson, Tex. 75080 Filed July 19, 1966, Ser.No. 566,280 Int. Cl. B42f 13/04, 13/02; B42d J/00 U.S. Cl. 129-1 2Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to books andbook binding. More particularly it relates to permanentlybound bookswith means for inserting or incorporating loose leaves as insertsbetween permanently bound leaves and to methods of securing looseinserts in permanently bound volumes such as books, catalogs and thelike.

In the art of bookbinding, many varied means of securing a plurality ofleaves or sheets ina bound or semibound volume have been used, each withsome degree of success in accomplishing specific desired purposes. Thecommon permanently bound book takes many forms, all having one commonfeature; a plurality of leaves permanently arranged with one edgethereof secured to a spine or binder. In addition to such obviousqualities as durability, compactness, and simplicity of indexing,crossreferencing, etc., they are susceptible to inexpensivemanufacturing processes.

However, permanently bound books suffer one great disadvantage. Pagescannot be rearranged, replaced, removed, or added. When extensiverearranging or replacing of pages is contemplated, loose leaf bindersare generally used.

In contrast with permanently bound books, loose-leaf binders are usuallybulky, difficult to use, and leaves are easily torn therefrom and lost.Loose-leaf binders, however, have one advantage. Leaves can be removed,added, replaced or rearranged without destroying the entire volume.Furthermore, since each leaf is bound only by a plurality of bindingrings, very rugged paper must be used to prevent leaves from beingt-ornout of the binder. Of necessity, a loose-leaf book of severalhundred pages of rugged, heavy paper is large, cumbersome, and may betoo heavy for convenient use. Furthermore, the cost of paper andprinting is directly related to the quality and thickness of paper used.Consequently, large loose-leaf catalogs are much more expensive thanpermanently bound volumes containing the same number of leaves.

Permanently bound volumes, while being much less expensive, more rugged,convenient, and compact, generally can not be used for supply catalogsand the like since new leaves can not be added as new products are addedto the suppliers product line.

It is therefore an object of this invention to combine the convenienceof loose-leaf binding with the low cost, ruggedness, and compactness ofa permanently bound volume. A further object is to provide means forinserting and maintaining loose-leaf supplements in a permanently boundbook and means for substituting new leaves for old leaves in apermanently bound catalog or similar article. A further object is toprovide a method of retaining additional or replacement pages among thepermanently bound pages of a book.

' In accordance with the invention, pliable lacing members passingthrough holes in the leaves of a permanently bound book or volume areused to retain loose leaves among the permanently bound leaves. Thelacing members may be removed to accommodaate removal or rearrangementof the loose leaves or the insertion of additional loose leaves asdesired.

A particular feature of the invention is the unique combination ofloose-leaf fastening means and a permanently bound book, thus providing:means for retaining supplemental loose leaves among the permanentlybound leaves. These and other objects, features and advantages willbecome more readily understood when taken in conjunction with theattached claims and drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a permanently bound volume containingthe lacing members of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of an edition bound volume embodying thelacing member of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of a book incorporating the lacing memberof the invention in an alternative arrangement;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the lacing member shown in FIGURES 2and 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of a permanently bound volume incorporatinganother embodiment of the invention, and

FIGURE 6 and FIGURE 7 are plan and side views, respectively, of thelacing member shown in FIGURE 5.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, there is shown a permanently bound bookcomprising a plurality of leaves 10 and a hardback cover 15. The leaves10 are joined along one edge thereof by an adhesive and reinforced by abinding tape 11 which may be glued or otherwise attached to the edge ofeach of leaves 10. Passing transversely through the volume of leaves areholes 12. The holes 12 are spaced near the bound edge and cords 14passing therethrough secure the bound leaves 10 to the hardback cover15.

The binding of leaves 10 to hardback cover 15 using cords 14 with bothends thereof permanently aflixed to the book as described above is knownin the art as a conventional method for binding large volumes of pagesand forms no part of this invention.

In accordance with the invention a plurality of looseleaf binding orlacing members 17 is provided each hav ing at least one free end. In theembodiment shown in FIG- URE 1, one end is permanentl secured to thehardback cover 15 near the flexing region 18. Each lacing member 17 isattached in registry with a hole 16 passing through the stack of leaves10. Holes 16 are parallel to holes 14 and pass through the entire stackof leaves 10.

To add a supplemental leaf or sheet 13 to the book of FIGURE 1, lacingmembers 17 are withdrawn from holes 16. The supplemental leaf 13 havingholes along one side thereof corresponding to holes 16 in the book, isinserted between the :bound pages at the desired position within thebook. Each lacing member 17 is then inserted in the appropriate hole 16.The supplemental leaf is thus held between the bound pages by the lacingmembers 17.

An arrangement for including the lacing member of this invention withinan edition bound book is depicted in FIGURE 2. A plurality 20 of leavesis permanently bound at one edge thereof. In binding the plurailty 20 ofleaves an adhesive is first applied to one edge thereof. A gauze orother suitable material 21 is applied to the glue to form a spine. Aplurality of lacing members 22 is then secured to the spine. The lacingmembers extend around the edges of the bound leaves along the innersurface of the cover. A hardback edition cover 23 is then secured to thebound leaves by conventional means. A plurality of holes 24 is providedin the leaves near the spine.

To add supplemental leaves to the book of FIGURE 2, the supplementalleaves 25 are inserted at the appropriate places and the free end 26 ofeach lacing member passed through the entire stack of leaves asdescribed with reference to FIGURE 1. The lacing members mayconveniently pass through the entire thickness of the bound leaves andthe free end 26 folded parallel to the opposite cover. The free end 26of each lacing member is thus hidden between the cover and the pageadjacent thereto.

It should be noted that only one end of the lacing member 22 is attachedto the book. The free end 26 need not be clamped or or otherwisesecured. The supplemental leaf 25 is held in place by the lacing members22 passing perpendicularly through holes therein. The supplemental leafis thus securely bound by the lacing members. Furthermore, the looseleaf 25 is more secure than leaves in a loose leaf binder since thepermanently bound pages adjacent the loose leaf grip the entire edge ofthe loose leaf to further bind it in place.

It should also be noted that the lacing member 22 need not pass throughthe entire volume. If desired, the lacing member may be folded to extendparallel to and between the bound pages after passing through only aportion of the entire volume. Furthermore, it will be apparent that thelacing members need not be anchored at the cover, but may, for example,be bound at the spine between the pages and extend therefrom throughholes in the leaves and emerge at the cover.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIGURE 3. Theleaves 30 illustrated in FIGURE 3 are bound along one edge thereof witha cover 31 afiixed permanently thereto. This type of binding is known inthe art as an adhesive binding or perfect binding. In accordance withthe invention a lacing member 22 is provided having one end thereofsecured to the cover 31 near the the spine. Holes 32 are provided nearthe spine and pass transversely through the bound leaves. Additionalpages 33 may be secured between the bound leaves 30 by inserting looseleaves having holes in registry with holes 32 and inserting the lacingstrap 22 as described above. The free end of the lacing member 22 mayconveniently be bent parallel to the opposite cover 31 and contained between the cover and the adjacent page.

It will be readily apparent that bound books incorporating the lacingmeans described above have all the advantages of permanently bound booksand also can accommodate additional leaves inserted as desired, thusalso including the advantages of a loose-leaf binder.

The preferred configuration of the lacing member is depicted in FIGURE4. The lacing member generally indicated at 22 is a T-shaped memberhaving an elongated shank 42 with a slightly sharpened or tapered point43. The opposite end 41 is broadened to provide a secure anchor whenembedded in the spine or cover of a bound book as described in FIGURES 2and 3. The dimensions of member 22 may be, for example, inch wide at theshank, inch wide at the anchor, about 40 mils thick, and to 7 inches inlength, depending on the size of book in which it is used. Thesedimensions, however, are merely exemplary. The dimensions andconfigurations may be varied as desired without departing from theteachings of this invention.

The lacing member 22 may be constructed of any suitable pliable orflexible material. For example, natural or synthetic fibers, plastics,nylon, and thin metals may be used. The lacing member need only bepliable and possess sufficient tensile strength to retain the inserts.For economy and ease of manufacture, a nylon strap of the dimensionsabove has been found preferable. However, other con- 4 figurations,dimensions, and compositions may be dictated by the specific useintended.

In the embodiments shown and described with reference to FIGURES 1-3,incorporation of the lacing member within the book during manufacture iscontemplated. However, the invention is not limited to a lacing memberhaving one end permanently affixed to the book. For example, a strap orcord having an enlarged anchor or bead similar to that shown in FIGURE 4may be used. The head of such strap or cord need not be afirxed to thebook, but may rest on the periphery of the hole in the first pagebetween the bound leaves and the cover. This embodiment may be likenedto a flexible nail which may be withdrawn at will to accommodaterearrangement or insertion of free leaves.

An alternate embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGURES 5-7. FIGURE5 depicts a volume 50 of leaves bound along one edge thereof by a cover51 to form an adhesive bound, or perfect bound, book. A series of holes52 near the bound edge pass transversely through the bound leaves. Adouble-ended lacing strap 53 having a fillet or tab 54 of exaggerateddimensions about its midsection is positioned within each hole. When thedoubleended strap is inserted the fillet 54 prevents the lacing strapfrom being drawn through the holes.

The lacing strap 53 preferably extends through the entire thickness ofthe bound volume and each end is bent to extend parallel to the covers.It will be noted that both ends of lacing member 53 are free to bewithdrawn as desired to allow insertion of additional leaves 55 asdesired. However, the tab 54 prevents the entire lacing member frombeing accidentally withdrawn.

The preferred configuration of the double-ended lacing member isgenerally indicated at 53 in FIGURES 6 and 7. The lacing member ispreferably in the shape of a strap formed of nylon approximately 40 milsthick. Both ends are tapered to facilitate insertion of the straps intothe holes. The fillet or tab is positioned along the midsection of thestrap, preferably near one end, and is wider than the strap. The filletmay extend outwardly in all directions from the strap or may extend onlyin one direction. The double-ended strap may be warped to desired shapesto provide a lacing member which is easily inserted.

It will be apparent that the doube-ended strap may be formed of anysuitable flexible material such as those mentioned above. Furthermore,the double-ended lacing member need not be fiat but may be in the formof a cord having circular or elliptical cross section, or any otherdesired form.

The embodiment shown in FIGURES 5-7 possesses all the advantagesdescribed with reference to FIGURES 14. Furthermore, it will be readilyapparent that permanently bound book already bound can be modified toaccommodate the double-ended strap and thus take advantage of theinvention. One need merely form a plurality of holes passingtransversely through the leaves of the book near the spine and insertthe double-ended lacing members. Additional leaves may then be added bywithdrawing the appropriate free end of the strap, placing theadditional leaves in the desired positions with holes in registry withthe holes in the bound leaves, and replacing the straps.

It will be understood that a plurality of supplemental leaves, or evensmall pamphlets, may be inserted in a bound volume in the mannerdescribed herein with reference to single sheets or leaves. It will befurther understood that permanently bound leaves may conveniently beperforated between the bound edge and the lacing holes permitting one toremove leaves as desired and substitute new leaves therefor inaccordance with the invention. Thus leaves may be removed, replaced, orrearranged within a permanently bound book.

Although the invention has been described with particular reference tolacing members in the form of substantially flat straps, it is to beunderstood that other geometrical configurations may likewise be usedwithout departing from the scope of the invention. Likewise, manymaterials possessing semirigid or pliable characteristics may be used.Furthermore, the lacing members described may be used in connection withother types of bound books than those shown and described.

It is to be understood that although the invention has been describedwith reference to specific embodiments thereof, the form of theinvention shown and described is to be taken as the preferred embodimentof same, and that various changes may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A bookbinding arrangement for a book of permanently bound leaves, thepages of which contain information which is supplemented by relatedinformation contained on loose leaf pages inserted between thepermanently bound leaves, said arrangement comprising:

a plurality of said bound leaves integrally and permanently joinedtogether at the entire length of respective one edges of said boundleaves,

a plurality of holes near said respective one edges passing completelythrough said bound leaves,

a hard back cover having front and back flaps adapted for flexing openand closed about said permanently bound leaves,

a plurality of loose leaves containing said related information insertedbetween adjacent bound leaves and having respective holes in registrywith said plurality of holes passing through said bound leaves, and

a plurality of semi-rigid lacing members, each lacing member having onlyone free end, the said free ends passing respectively through theplurality of holes in said bound leaves and said loose leaves, therebyto retain said loose leaves with said bound leaves,

the other ends of said lacing members secured at spaced locations fromone another at the flexing region of said hard back cover near one ofsaid flaps,

the free ends of said lacing members being folded parallel to said boundleaves when the other one of said flaps is closed.

2. A bookbinding arrangement for a book of permanently bound leaves, thepages of which contain information which is supplemented by relatedinformation contained on loose leaf pages inserted between thepermanently bound leaves, said arrangement comprising:

a plurality of said bound leaves integrally and permanently joinedtogether at the entire length of respective one edges of said boundleaves,

a plurality of holes near said respective one edges passing completelythrough said bound leaves,

a hard back cover having front and back flaps adapted for flexing openand closed about said permanently bound leaves,

a plurality of loose leaves containing said related information insertedbetween adjacent bound leaves and having respective holes in registrywith said plurality of holes passing through said bound leaves, and

a plurality of semi-rigid lacing members, each lacing member having twofree ends, the said two free ends passing respectively through theplurality of holes in said bound leaves and said loose leaves, therebyto retain said loose leaves with said bound leaves,

each lacing member being separate from one another an including a tabdisposed between the said two free ends, said tab having a dimensionwhich prevents its insertion or removal through the holes in said boundleaves and said loose leaves,

the free ends of said lacing members being folded parallel to said boundleaves when said front and back flaps are closed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,551,021 8/1925 Fetters.

222,350 12/1879 Gilman 28138 467,019 1/1892 Reynolds. 494,833 4/1893Abbott 129-41 X 919,730 4/1909 Kramer 129-41 999,285 8/ 1911 Williams129-41 1,433,636 10/1922 Macy 281-38 2,052,484 8/1936 Murray 28138 X2,139,843 12/ 1938 Moore 129-41 2,194,985 3/1940 Price 28121 2,689,7519/1954 Baller 281-15 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,185,580 1/1965 Germany.

969,396 9/1964 Great Britain.

JEROME SCHNALL, PrimaIy Examiner.

US. 01. X.R. 129-41; 281-3

